


The meaning of gestures

by antennapedia



Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, courtly gestures, whouffaldi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-11
Updated: 2016-05-11
Packaged: 2018-06-07 21:00:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 423
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6823936
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/antennapedia/pseuds/antennapedia
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Doctor has an important briefing to give Clara on the meaning of gestures on this planet. Very very important.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The meaning of gestures

The Doctor blocked the door of the TARDIS. "Can't. I need to give you a quick primer in the manners of this place first, or we may find ourselves in, ah, some difficulties."

"Like last time," Clara said.

"Like last time."

"Okay. What's the secret to not getting killed on this planet?" The expression on her face was not entirely trusting.

"We mustn't hold hands at all. It means something very different on this planet than it does on yours."

"And what do you think it means on my planet?" Clara said, and that was suspicion on her face.

"That we're friends, of course."

"Of course," Clara murmured.

"Hand-holding is far too intimate for this planet. Scandalous. We'll need something more courtly."

"Courtly?"

"When I raise my hand like this, raise yours to me. Two fingers," the Doctor said, and he held up his forefinger and middle finger paired. Clara lifted her own fingers to him, still suspicious. He touched his fingers against hers. "Like this."

"And if we do this, we'll be a polite couple, and they won't kill us."

"Something like that," the Doctor mumbled. The reality was much more likely to annoy Clara, perhaps even enrage her, but this was close enough that they'd muddle through it and besides he was bored with the explanations. It was much nicer to touch Clara than to try to justify alien ownership rituals to her. Much nicer to stand close to her, drinking in her smile, her perfume, the touch of her fingers against his. So nice and warm and it made his hearts fluttery in ways he hadn't felt in a long time and damn it, it was making him dizzy. He bent his head and kissed her fingertips.

"Is that part of it?" Clara said, eyebrows together.

"Yeah," the Doctor said. He did it again, lingering this time, then took her hand in his properly, none of this finger-grazing nonsense, and kissed her knuckles. This was a proper human gesture and a Gallifreyan one too, and it was even more intimate for Gallifreyans than humans, and that was something he should perhaps tell her. He might write a card for her, like the ones she wrote for him, explaining the finer points of Gallifreyan manners, so she would know that looking up at him like that with her free hand resting on his chest meant only one thing to him.

"Do we maybe want to do the planet later?" she said. Husky voice, very close to him.

"Yeah," he said. "Later."


End file.
